The finances were a shambles. The chief executive had just resigned. The star player had been jettisoned for homophobic comments. The team had stumbled through the World Cup, had been swept aside at the quarter-final stage and had slumped to seventh in the world rankings.
It would be fair to say that things did not look too rosy for Dave Rennie when he swapped the comfortable surroundings he enjoyed as head coach at Glasgow Warriors for the febrile world of Australian rugby in May 2020. It was even suggested that he might renege on the deal after Raelene Castle, the chief executive who appointed him, had left (in reality, been ousted from) her role.
But Rennie, 57, is no quitter. As messy as the situation was, he knew he had the right combination of principles, man-management skills and, critically, a good enough crop of players to make a difference. Which is exactly what he has done over the past 18 months.
Bizarrely, Rennie’s reign began with three draws in his first six games — one with New Zealand, two against Argentina. There could scarcely be a better indication of a ship being steadied. And while his overall record of eight wins, six losses and those three draws looks pretty middling on paper, the only defeats have been to New Zealand (five times) and a two-point loss to a resurgent France. The team he brings to Murrayfield is on a run of five wins, two of them against the world champions, South Africa.
Of course, Rennie plays down his part in the transformation. “It’s a different group,” he says. “You have a World Cup cycle and a lot of senior players left prior to my arrival. We picked a lot of kids and they worked really hard. We made sure we’re better conditioned and a very fit side.
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“We’re still a long way from our ceiling and that’s why we always felt this year was very big for us.”